Dreamers
by Shonetta
Summary: Voyager is home, but is she? J/C
1. Chapter 1

**Star Trek Voyager characters are the property of Paramount Pictures**

**Dreamers**

**Prologue**

After seven long years in the Delta Quadrant, Voyager was finally home. The crew's return was big news and the Delta Quadrant heroes were welcomed back with a lavish party at one of San Francisco's top hotels. Everyone who was anyone in Starfleet was there and the party was kicked off with a round of well-deserved promotions. Captain Kathryn Janeway was promoted to Admiral, Commander Tuvok to Captain, Ensign Harry Kim to Lieutenant and several other outstanding officers were raised a rank. None of the Maquis were given a promotion but their exoneration was reward enough for seven long years dedicated service.

"Congratulations on the promotion," the Doctor said as Kathryn left the stage. "No one deserves it more than you. I'm glad all your sacrifices for the sake of the crew have been recognized. I doubt any Captain has been as devoted and dedicated to a mission as you have been to getting Voyager home."

"I did what I had to do," Kathryn said. "I'm not one for half measures. When I commit to something, I commit wholeheartedly."

A sadness filled the Doctor's eyes. "Speaking of hearts," he said, "how is yours bearing up?"

"You're the doctor, Doctor," she answered uncomfortably. "You tell me."

"Some conditions of the heart are beyond medical treatment," he said. "I have long observed your attachment to Commander Chakotay. It must have hurt to learn of his romance with Seven at the very moment a romance between you both became possible."

"If you've observed an attachment," Kathryn replied, somewhat defensively, "you've observed nothing more than friendship. I wish Chakotay and Seven all the best."

B'Elanna and Tom approached now and B'Elanna hugged Kathryn. "Congratulations, Captain...I mean, Admiral."

Kathryn hugged her back with a smile. "Thank you, B'Elanna."

"Lieutenant, you should be resting," the Doctor said disapprovingly. "Need I remind you that you have just given birth?"

"I'm fine. Tom's here for me to lean on and it's not as if we live in the twentieth century. Women climb Everest after giving birth these days and a party is hardly climbing Everest."

"That's right, Doc," Tom said. "Relax. What is it you always say? Giving birth is as...."

But Kathryn never heard the rest of the sentence as his words suddenly slurred and his image blurred. Then she fell backwards and all went black.

**End of Prologue**


	2. Chapter 2

**Star Trek Voyager characters are the property of Paramount Pictures**

**Dreamers**

**Chapter One**

_Bright lights... Blue blur..._

These were the first things Kathryn became aware of when she woke up. Then the haze cleared and she found herself looking into the face of an alien woman with blue skin and white hair.

"Welcome back," the alien said warmly.

Kathryn looked around and she saw that she was in some kind of sickbay. There were about four beds, all occupied, and a team of blue faced medics were attending to the occupants.

"Where am I?" Kathryn asked.

"On board our ship," the woman replied. "But don't be alarmed, you're safe. I'm Captain Kelika and my people and I are from a planet in this quadrant called Rayzin. While passing through this space a few weeks ago, we found you and your crew in a state of artificial hibernation on what you call The Caretaker's Array. It's taken us a long time and a lot of work to find a way to wake you safely. All your minds were linked in some kind of collective dream and we couldn't find a way to wake you without killing you."

Feeling as though she was dreaming now, Kathryn sat up and put her hand to her aching head. "What do you mean you found us on the array? We destroyed the array seven years ago."

"In your dream you did, but in reality you were still on it. You're not the first person we've woken up. We've already woken up most of your crew and they've all filled us in on the dream. In this dream you destroyed The Caretaker's Array to save the Ocampa from the Kazon. This action stranded you 75,000 light years from your homeworld and for the past seven years you've been trying to get back there."

"That's right," Kathryn said. "Except that we did. We got home. The last thing I remember is being at our return party."

"The dream is ongoing and ends differently for everyone. Once we severed you from the collective dream, you kept on dreaming until we woke you up. We could not wake you up right away as that would have resulted in brain damage. We had to let your body return to normal sleep before we could. For some this takes only minutes but for others hours. Most of your crew have reported getting home before waking but in different ways. We can only conclude that as your bodies returned to normal sleep, your unconscious mind responded by bringing the dream to its natural conclusion."

Kathryn tried hard to absorb these words, to make sense of what she was hearing. How could all this be true? How could everything she had experienced over the passed seven years be nothing more than a dream?

"Something else is going on here," she said. "There's no way everything I've experienced over the passed seven years was part of a collective dream. If anything is a dream, this is a dream. I can remember the passed seven years clearly, can remember my thoughts and feelings. There are no collective voices, no collective memories."

"By collective dream," the woman replied, "I don't mean collective consciousness. What I mean is that you all shared the same dream but as individuals. The setting was the same, and you all interacted with each other in it, but your thoughts were your own. Think of it as a kind of virtual reality where..."

"I get the picture," Kathryn interrupted. "But before I can accept it, I need proof."

"I understand. We will do the same for you as we have for the others. We will return you to the array so you can see for yourself. But first take a look at yourself." She picked up a mirror and handed it to Kathryn. "You will see that you have not aged."

Kathryn looked at herself in the mirror and sure enough she saw the woman she was seven years ago. For a long moment she looked at yesteryear's face, then she put the mirror down.

"This means nothing. With mind control you can easily make me see myself as you want me to see myself."

"True. But I assure you we are not manipulating or controlling your thoughts in any way. All we want is to help you. At the moment the dream is still very fresh in your mind but like all dreams it will begin to fade. When that happens, your sense of reality will return and you'll recognize the dream for what it was. Several of your crew members have already reached that stage. You may talk to them if you wish."

"For all I know they could be holograms or imposters. What I want is answers. If what you say is true, that we've all been dreaming for the passed seven years, tell me why. Tell me why The Caretaker would want to put us all into a collective dream. What would be the point of it?"

"We don't know. We found the array abandoned. From our studies of it we guess that The Caretaker, or whoever was responsible for abducting you, was using you for biometric examinations, but we don't know why. In your dream The Caretaker died and that may well be the case. He may well have interfaced with you to tell you that he was dying."

"Considerate of him. Why not unplug us and then give up the ghost?"

"Perhaps he couldn't. Or perhaps he hoped someone else would take over. What I can tell you is that you weren't brought here for the reasons he told you. The Ocampa do exist, and they do live in a subterranean world because of an environmental disaster, but it isn't a world controlled by The Caretaker. Kes, your Ocampan crew-member, was abducted with Neelix about the same time as you and they became a part of your collective dream." She paused. "I'm sorry to have to tell you that not all your crew members have survived. In your dream you will recall that several crewmembers died. This is because their hibernation unit failed. When they died, their consciousness left the dream, so they died in the dream too. We found several dead bodies when we arrived. However, not all who died in the dream did actually die. Some merely became disconnected from the dream. One was Kes and another was Joseph Carey."

Kathryn said nothing, just desperately tried to get her aching head around all this.

"Like in all dreams," the woman went on, "the dream had a time of its own. While seven years passed in it, in reality only five have." Kindly, she reached out and put her hand on Kathryn's shoulder. "I know all this is hard to take in. Everyone we've awoken has found it hard. But, like them, you'll soon come to see that what I say is true. But, for now, try to relax. You are among friends and whatever we can do to help you we will. As soon as Dr Melin says you're fit enough to leave our sickbay, I'll take you to the array. Until then, try to relax and eat. We can provide you with whatever you desire from Voyager's replicators."

Voyager. In trying to make sense of everything, Kathryn had completely forgotten about her ship.

"We found your ship adrift in nearby space," the woman continued. "It is exactly as you left it, or rather as it was before you were abducted. Very few ships pass through this region of space so it has not been stolen or looted. The Maquis ship, however, has not survived. It was programmed to self-destruct if abandoned for more than six months and it did just that. Luckily, neither Voyager or the array was caught up in the explosion." The woman smiled. "We found your holographic doctor on board. He was singing on a stage in the holodeck. After running continuously for five years, his program has expanded so he's developed his own personality, just like in your dream." She paused. "But like I said, all this is a lot to take in and you're going to need time to adjust back to reality. There'll be plenty of time later to fill you in on everything. So, what can I get you? I hear you're very fond of a beverage called black coffee. Can I get you that with something to eat? How about Maple syrup pancakes? They're very popular with your crew."

"Just a coffee," Kathryn replied. "Then I want to visit the array and see for myself what's going on."

"As I said, Dr Melin must discharge you before you may leave sickbay, but he should be here soon. He's currently on the array helping to sever you remaining crewmembers from the collective dream. Are you sure you won't have something to eat? Your body needs nourishment after five years in hibernation."

"I'm sure," Kathryn said. "Just the coffee."

* * *

Dr Melin, a friendly alien man of the same species as Zelika, discharged Kathryn after a series of scans, and she was taken by a nurse to Zelika's office. This was big, stylish, and through a round window Kathryn could see The Caretaker's Array.

"How are you feeling now?" Zelika asked. "Is your sense of reality beginning to return?"

"If you mean am I convinced yet that the passed seven years of my life were nothing more than a dream, then the answer is no. But I am more open to the possibility. I admit that with every passing moment, my memories of the passed seven years are feeling more dreamlike than real. However, this does not automatically mean you are telling the truth. You may have surgically or otherwise altered my perception of reality to make me believe that I have been dreaming."

"Then perhaps a tour of the array will convince you. Shall we proceed?"

Kathryn nodded. "Let's proceed."

The woman pressed a button on her wristband and immediately a green beam engulfed them. Then Kathryn felt the familiar tingle of transportation and they disappeared.

When they re-appeared, Kathryn found herself looking at a sight she had seen once before...seven years ago when Voyager was first stranded. It was the sight of semi-naked bodies on biobeds with a needle puncturing their chests.

"This is where and how we found you," Zelika said. "At first we thought you were dead, and this place some kind of burial chamber, but then we realized you were alive but in some kind of stasis. We were going to leave you be, as we never interfere in the customs and rituals of other races, but when we found Voyager and your doctor told us you'd been abducted, we resolved to do all we could to help you."

Kathryn walked slowly amongst the sleeping bodies and recognized them all: Harry Kim, Marcus Draye, the Delaney sisters, Samantha Wildman, Richard Lark, and Vimar.

"B'Elanna Torres, Chief Engineer in your dream, is of the opinion that the array can be configured to send you home, and I have assigned a group of my best engineers to work with her on it. She was one of the first we severed from the dream. We wanted to sever you first, but we were unable to determine which plug controlled your unit. The units are controlled remotely and we could not determine the frequency. So who we woke and when was pure chance."

The rows of beds seemed to stretch on forever, but all were empty after Lieutenant Vimar. Or so Kathryn thought. In the corner of her eye she saw red lights flash and she turned towards them. Her heart almost stopped when she saw several borg drones lying in the shadows.

"Borg..." she exclaimed.

"That's right," Zelika replied. "There are four altogether. Two males and two females. Only one appears to be still alive. We don't know how exactly they ended up here but we have a theory. Not far from here we found a field of Borg cube debris and in another sector of this array we found a Borg escape pod. We theorize that the Borg drones were damaged and severed from the collective in whatever catastrophe caused the destruction of their cube. They flew to this array to take refuge and found you here when they arrived. As they were unable to re-connect to the collective, they attempted to connect to your collective dream as a substitute for the Hive Mind. However, only one drone appears to have been able to make and sustain that connection."

Kathryn walked over to the only living drone and tears filled her eyes when she recognized its familiar face.

"Seven," she whispered.

"We have not disturbed the drones," Zelika went on, "as we don't want to reactivate them if they are not really dead. We know little about the Borg and fear them greatly. But if you wish it, we will attempt to disconnect this drone from the dream interface after we have disconnected your remaining crewmembers. We know which connection is hers because the drones used Borg technology to do it."

Kathryn reached out and brushed her fingers against Seven's cheek. It was cold, rough. "I do wish it," she said. "If what you say is true, that we've all shared a collective interactive dream, then in that dream I've got to know the woman beneath the cybernetics. Her name is Anneka Hanson and she was assimilated as a child." Kathryn looked up at Zelika. "But in my gut I no longer believe that this is a case of if. You're telling the truth, aren't you? We really have been in a dream state for the passed seven years?"

"Yes," Zelika replied.

"My crew. Where are they?"

"On Voyager. If you have seen all you wish to see here, I can beam you there."

"For now," Kathryn replied. "I've seen all I wish to for now."

"Then standby for transport."

The woman fiddled with her wristband, pressed a button, and then a green beam engulfed Kathryn.

* * *

Kathryn rematerialized in Voyager's Mess Hall and the place was teeming with people. She recognized them immediately as her crewmembers, both Starfleet and Maquis, and found their familiarity comforting.

"Captain! Oh Captain, you're finally here!"

The voice was B'Elanna's and Kathryn turned to face her. The half-Klingon was standing next to Tom and Chakotay.

"Welcome back to reality, Captain," Tom said. "How are you finding it?"

"Mind spinning," Kathryn confessed, "but I'm getting less dizzy. How are you all doing?"

"Good. It's not every day you get to grow seven years younger," he teased.

"I couldn't believe it at first," Chakotay said. "I thought I was hallucinating or in some kind of holo-simulation, but after visiting the array and coming here I had no choice but to accept it."

"I couldn't believe it either," B'Elanna declared. "The dream felt so real, like everything had really happened. When I woke up I still felt like I was pregnant."

"With baby Paris," Tom grinned. "But of course, you must know that, Captain. Everyone knows that B'Elanna had I were an item in this dream."

"For reasons I can't even begin to understand," B'Elanna teased.

"Oh I can," Tom smiled. "My charm, good looks, great sense of humor..."

"You'll find yourself remembering less and less of the dream as time passes," Chakotay said. "I've been awake for three days and what I can remember now is a lot less than what I could then. Like all dreams, the essence of it will probably always stay with us, but most of it we will forget."

Neelix stopped at a nearby table to serve coffee to a group of ensigns and his face lit up when he saw Kathryn.

"Captain!" he cried. "You're here at last! Kes! Come quick! The captain's here!"

Kes appeared from behind a crowd and Kathryn's heart filled with joy at the sight of her.

"Oh Kes," she said. "It's so good to see you!"

"So says everyone," Kes smiled, "but in my dream I never left Voyager."

"Neither did I," Neelix said. "And neither did Tuvok."

"Tuvok?" Kathryn asked in surprise. "He didn't leave in my dream."

"He did in mine," Neelix answered. "He got swallowed by a giant whale while on an away mission and got carried away to a sea of no-return."

"I would hardly call that leaving," Tuvok said, having approached unnoticed. "Leaving suggests a voluntary departure. Being swallowed by a giant whale and carried off to a sea of no return is hardly a voluntary departure."

"Oh, you know what I mean," Neelix replied. "No need to get hung up on detail!"

"So, Captain," B'Elanna said. "How did you get home in your dream? In mine, Seven and I perfected the slip-stream technology. It was a hell of a bumpy ride but we got to the alpha quadrant in one piece."

"Let's just say we had a little help from an older me from the future," Kathryn smiled.

"In my dream," Chakotay said, "I found an old alien ship capable of making wormholes while surveying an abandoned planet. We used it to create a wormhole to Earth."

"In my dream," Tuvok announced, "I discovered a wormhole leading to the alpha quadrant while performing a routine scan of nearby space."

"Interesting," Tom mused. "In all your dreams, you were each the hero who got us home."

"You're no one to talk," B'Elanna retorted. "In your dream you designed a time-machine that could get us to Earth in the blink of a transport."

"True," Tom smiled. "I'm clearly as vainglorious as the rest of you."

"Oh, I wouldn't put it quite like that, Mr Paris," Neelix said. "I think you were all the hero in your dreams because you all wanted to get your friends home. That isn't vainglory, it's comradeship."

"How did your dream end, Neelix?" Kathryn asked.

"Very abruptly," he replied. "I was just about to serve Kes a bowl of Leola Root soup when a bright light flashed before me and I woke up."

"The strange thing is," Kes said, "I was just about to take the soup when Neelix disappeared right before my eyes. It might be just coincidence, but I like to think that when we got separated from the main dream we found each other somehow."

"I'm sure that's the case," Kathryn replied. "It sounds a little too coincidental for my liking."

The Doctor approached now and smiled at Kathryn. "Captain, I'm delighted to finally make your acquaintance."

"My acquaintance?" Kathryn said in surprise. Then she realized what he meant. "Of course, you weren't a part of the dream so we've never actually met. How strange, because I feel like we're old acquaintances."

"I hope some day we are," he smiled. "I have yet to reach the sophistication of your dream doctor, but I have advanced significantly beyond my program and am more like him than I am not." He pointed to a round silver device on his left shoulder. "Look, Captain. The Rayzin have provided me with a mobile emitor. I can now roam this ship as freely as your dream EMH could. I'm sure that after a couple of years in this quadrant I'll be every bit as brilliant as him."

"Hopefully we won't need to be in this quadrant for a couple of years," B'Elanna said. "The Caretaker's Array brought us here and I'm pretty sure it can send us back. I'm working on it with the Rayzin. Which reminds me, Captain. I've already worked out a way to send a data-stream to Earth. If you want to send Starfleet a message...like to let them know what's happened to us...then just give it to me and I'll send it."

"I will," Kathryn said. "Right away. Good work, B'Elanna."

"But what about the array?" The Doctor said. "In your dream you destroyed it to stop it falling into wrong hands. Are you not going to do that now? Are you going to put your needs above the greater good?"

B'Elanna answered. "The Rayzin say they will destroy the array as soon as we're home and I believe them. They are good people who have really put themselves out to help us."

"Agreed," Neeliz said. "The Rayzin are well known for their integrity, kindness, and love of justice. If they say they will destroy the array, then they will."

"That's right, Doctor," Kes said. "The Rayzin are completely trustworthy."

"But what if these aliens are only pretending to be the Rayzin because of their reputation?" The Doctor argued. "What if they're a wicked species in disguise? Who knows what ends they'll use the array for."

"I admit that thought has crossed my mind," Kathryn said, "but there's a time to be suspicious and a time to trust. So far, everything the Rayzin has told us has proved to be true and we have no reason to doubt them. In our dream we destroyed the array to save the lives of the Ocampa. Had the Ocampa not needed protecting, we would not have destroyed the array but used it to get home. Well, it turns out that the Ocampan homeworld is 200 light years away and is under no threat from the Kazon or anyone else. The reason for our destruction of the array in our dream does not exist in real life. As it does not exist, neither does our need to destroy the array. That means we can, in all good conscience, use the array to get home and let the Rayzin decide its fate."

**End of Chapter One**


	3. Chapter 3

**Star Trek Voyager characters are the property of Paramount Pictures**

**Dreamers**

**Chapter Two**

THREE DAYS LATER

All crewmembers were now awake, but as the Rayzin had refused to receive a Borg drone onto their ship, Seven of Nine was transported to Voyager's sickbay as soon as she was disconnected from the dream matrix. For security reasons, The Doctor kept her unconscious and behind a forcefield.

"I'm sure I can restore most of her human physiology like I did in your dream," he said to Kathryn, "but as a dream is shaped as much by personal hopes as it is personal fears, there is no way of knowing whether the Seven of Nine I will restore will be the same Seven of Nine of your dream."

"Of course there's a way of knowing," Kathryn replied. "Time will tell us. But I have every confidence that when she is restored, this Borg drone will be the Seven of Nine we all knew and loved."

"Shall I proceed with the restoration then, Captain?"

"Yes. And I won't wish you luck as I know you don't need it."

B'Elanna's voice suddenly sounded over the comm. "Torres to Janeway. We've received a data-stream from Earth. I haven't gone through everything yet, but there are letters for you and letters for the crew."

"Great news, B'Elanna," Kathryn replied. "Send all letters addressed to me to my ready room and have someone deliver the rest to the crew."

"Right away, Captain. Torres out."

"That's a turn up for the books," the Doctor said as the connection terminated. "You weren't expecting a return data-stream."

"No," Kathryn answered. "I didn't think Starfleet had the technology to do it. But a lot changes in five years...and not just technologically. In our dream, our letters from Earth brought bad news as well as good, and I have a feeling that part of our dream is about to become reality."

* * *

The Mess Hall was quieter than it had been for days when Kathryn arrived there two hours later. All the letters from home had now been delivered and most crewmembers had retired to their quarters to read them.

"Coffee, black?" Neelix asked from behind the counter.

"As always," Kathryn smiled.

Neeliz set to work and Kathryn made her way over to Harry Kim. He was sitting alone at a table, eating a tomato pizza.

"How are you doing, Ensign?" she asked.

"Just great, thank you, Captain," he smiled. "I've had a letter from my folks and from Libby and everything is great. My folks are well and Libby isn't married. She was in my dream, to a musician, but she isn't even engaged. She can't wait to see me and the feeling is mutual."

"That_ is_ great news," Kathryn said. "I'm very happy for you."

"I've never stopped loving her. I think that's why I never settled with someone in the dream like Tom and B'Elanna did. My heart was always Libby's. I can't believe I'm going to see her again...really, actually, see her. I have so many times in my dreams...no pun intended."

"We haven't got the array configured yet," Kathryn said. "Let's keep our optimism in check."

"I know," he replied, "and I am, but I have a really good feeling about this."

"Me too," Kathryn smiled.

"Libby's in Starfleet now," he went on. "She enrolled at the Academy a few months after we went missing and graduated last year. Can you believe she outranks me now? That's right, she's a Lieutenant. She joined because she wanted to be part of the official search for us. It was never called off, like in our dream, but is still going. Or at least was still going until they heard from us."

"I'm impressed," Kathryn said. "Libby set herself a goal and she achieved it. That takes a lot of determination."

"She's an impressive woman. You'll love her, Captain. She's amazing. I've never met anyone quite like her. She's funny and smart and stunningly beautiful...to me, anyway."

Samantha Wildman sat at a table next to them and Harry turned to look at her. "Do you think she's pregnant like she was in our dream?"

Kathryn was thinking the same thing, but did not have to answer as Samantha did instead. "I heard that, Ensign," she said, "and the answer is yes."

"Oh that's wonderful," Kathryn replied as she got up to give her a hug. "Congratulations."

"Thank you, Captain," Samantha smiled.

"Is it a girl?" Harry asked.

"Yes," she answered. "And not only is she going to be like Naomi, she's going to be Naomi. The Doctor's done a holographic projection of her at four years of age and she looks exactly like Naomi. I'm so glad because I was absolutely devastated to find out that Naomi wasn't real. I don't know how I'd bear it if I wasn't pregnant. But on the other hand I'm glad it was a dream too. The chances are we'll be home by this time next week and Naomi will get to have a regular childhood. My husband never gave up on me and we'll get to be a proper family."

"That's fantastic," Neelix smiled. "Little Naomi so deserves a proper home. Not that she didn't have a great life on our dream Voyager, but a starship is no place for children. I just hope you'll let me and Kes be a part of her life. We'd so love to be."

"Of course. In fact, I'd like you both to be her godparents."

"Really?" he beamed. "Oh we'd be honored!"

Samantha smiled and then turned to Kathryn. "I've been thinking, Captain. For me to know I was pregnant in the dream, and for me to know what Naomi will look like, The Caretaker must have supplied me with that information somehow. He must have known from examining me that I'm pregnant."

"That theory works for me," Kathryn smiled.

"There are a lot of stories going around about The Caretaker," Harry said. "Some say he never really existed, that we were taken by a group of aliens instead, whereas others say he did exist but was not a Caretaker. They say he was a lone biologist from an advanced species. What do you think, Captain?"

"I'm inclined to believe the former," she said. "I think we were taken by a group of aliens for biometric examination, but for some reason they had to abandon the array and us in a hurry. But who knows. Anything is possible."

Neelix arrived now with Kathryn's cup of coffee. "One hot black coffee for Captain Janeway."

"Thank you, Neelix," she said as she took it.

"Can I get you anything else, Captain?"

"I might have a slice of your delicious looking carrot cake later," she replied, "but for now this coffee will do very nicely."

"As you were," Neelix smiled. "He then turned to Samantha. "Anything I can get you, Ensign Wildman? Some horonto gravy for your roasted vegetables, perhaps?"

"No, thank you, Neelix," she said. "I'm good."

He turned to Harry. "Ensign Kim, anything I can get you?"

"I'm good too," he answered. "In fact, I should be on my way. I promised Tom I'd meet him in holodeck 2 at 16:00 hours."

"Then you had indeed better get going," Neelix said. "It's almost that time now." He took Harry's plate from him. "I won't have Mr Paris blame me for your late arrival. Get moving, Mr Kim. Step, step..."

"On my way," Harry said as he got to his feet. "See you all later."

He left the room and as Kathryn watched him go, she caught a glimpse of Chakotay. He was sitting in a corner with Tamara Reed. The girl was crying and Chakotay was doing his best to comfort her. The girl was a former member of his Maquis crew and Kathryn knew why she was crying. Just like in their dream, the Maquis had been brought to an end by a massacre.

"I feel so sorry for the Maquis," Samantha said, evidently having noticed them too. "It's a nightmare come true."

"I feel sorry for them too," Neelix said. "But how do you think we knew in the dream about something that had happened in the Alpha Quadrant, Captain? Do you think The Caretaker or our abductors told us?"

"No," Kathryn replied. "I think they were long gone by the time we received letters from Earth. I think the source of our information was Seven. No doubt the Borg assimilated a number of people from the Federation after the Maquis massacre and that information was relayed to us through her."

"I never thought of that," Neelix said. "You're a genius, Captain!"

Gill Reed, Tamara's sister, approached Chakotay and Tamara now and they talked.

"What's going to happen to the Maquis?" Neelix asked. "Will they be pardoned or put in jail? I do hope they're pardoned."

"I do too," Samantha said. "I wouldn't have thought that seven years ago...I mean five...but now I feel like I know them, like they're family."

"So do I," Neelix said. "I feel like I know you all, even though before this week I'd never met you."

"What are your plans?" Samantha asked. "Are you and Kes going to return to Ocampa or come with us to the Federation?"

"Why, we're coming with you, of course! Kes has no living family now and mine are long dead. You're all our family now and we want to be where you are."

Kathryn smiled. "I'm delighted to hear it. You'll love Earth."

"I know we will," he said. "It feels like a home to both of us already because we've heard so much about it."

Suddenly an alarm bleeped and Kes called to Neelix from the kitchen.

"My pumpkin pie!" he cried. "I totally forgot! Excuse me, Captain! Emergency in the kitchen!"

He hurried to attend to the burning pie and Kathryn couldn't help but laugh. "Looks like Neelix has picked up some of my bad habits. I can't count how many roasts I burnt in our dream."

Tamara and Gill left Chakotay now and Kathryn put her hand on Samantha's shoulder.

"I'll leave you to eat in peace. And congratulations once again."

With that she left Samantha and made her way over to Chakotay. He was staring vacantly into a cup of coffee and didn't notice her approach.

"Hi," she said.

Chakotay came out of his trance now and looked up at her. "Hi."

Kathryn sat down opposite him with her coffee. "I'm sorry...about the Maquis."

"Me too," he said sadly. "I hoped that part of our dream wasn't true, that it was just a manifestation of our collective fears, but it is true. In some ways, having come to terms with it in the dream makes it easier to bear, but a lot of people have had news they weren't expecting."

"Like Tamara Reed?"

He nodded. "In our dream, her letter from home bore the news that her fiance had survived the massacre, but in reality he didn't."

"I'm sorry to hear that." She paused. "What about you? Have you received any letters?"

"Two. One from my cousin and one from an old Maquis friend, Timon. The news is pretty much as it was in my dream, except that my cousin tells me my youngest brother, Karotay, is alive and well. My sister found him when she returned to Trebus."

"That's wonderful news," Kathryn said, "really wonderful."

"It is. We've never been close...I left the tribe when he was just a baby...but he's my brother and we have the rest of our lives to get to know one another. I'm determined not to repeat my past mistakes." He paused. "What is your news? I hear you've had several letters."

"I have. One from Starfleet Command, one from my mother, one from my sister, one from Aunt Martha and..." She hesitated. "One from Mark."

"And?"

"Just like in my dream he's married. He married a woman he works with last year."

"I'm sorry."

Kathryn looked deep into his eyes. "I would be if...if I hadn't moved on."

Chakotay returned her gaze and for a long moment their eyes locked. Then Chakotay looked down. "Your letter from Starfleet Command," he said, "did it say anything about us Maquis? About what will happen to us if we get home? In our dream we were exonerated for dedicated service on Voyager, but that obviously won't happen now. None of us, Starfleet or Maquis, are the delta quadrant heroes of our dream."

"No. There'll be no honors or promotions when we get home and Voyager won't be put into a museum. She'll be repaired to her former glory and put back into space. But as well as the lack of celebrity, there'll be the lack of recrimination. Starfleet Command assures me that you Maquis won't be prosecuted."

Infinite relief passed across Chakotay's face.

"I'm going to make an announcement to the crew later," Kathryn went on, "but I wanted you to be the first to know."

"Thank you," he replied. "I was really worried that we would be prosecuted. So much so that I wondered if it would be right for us to go back with you. I'd rather us try to find our own way home than go back with you and be thrown into jail."

"And no doubt Starfleet Command knows that. It was probably one of their reasons for deciding not to prosecute. The Maquis is still a sensitive subject and the last think the Federation wants is to provoke an uprising. That is probably what they would do if you and your crew stayed behind out of fear of jail. The pro-Maquis media would have a field day." She paused. "Ironic, isn't it? Here I am glad of your freedom when the only reason I'm in this quadrant is because I was on a mission to capture you."

"Yes," he smiled. "But if you're glad of my freedom I'm glad you were assigned to capture us. If things had been different then we wouldn't be here now and I'm glad that we are. I'm glad we've had the chance to get to know each other and become friends, even if just in a dream."

"So am I." She paused. "If we get home, what are your plans?"

"I don't know," he said. "If we're not invited to rejoin Starfleet then I'll probably either return to Trebus or become a teacher. I'll just have to see which way the wind blows. What about you? What are your plans?"

"I'd like to spend some time with my family and then visit all the places I thought I'd never see again. I haven't decided yet what my long term plans are. I don't know whether I'll captain another ship or to take up a research post on Earth. I think I need time for the dream to fade before I make that decision. Right now I feel more like the Kathryn Janeway who has captained Voyager for the passed seven years than I do the Kathryn Janeway that has been asleep for five."

"Same here," Chakotay said. "I think timeout is a good idea. After everything we've all been through, I think it's something we all need."

**End of Chapter Two**


	4. Chapter 4

**Star Trek Voyager characters are the property of Paramount Pictures**

**Dreamers**

**Chapter Three**

TWO DAYS LATER

"What do you think, Captain?" The Doctor asked as they stood in the cargo bay looking at the result of his two day labor on Seven of Nine. Tuvok and Tom had salvaged a Borg regeneration alcove from the Borg escape pod and Joseph Carey had installed it. "Does she look like the Seven of Nine in your dream?"

"Yes," Kathryn smiled. "She looks exactly the same. You've done a marvelous job, Doctor. Well done."

"Shall I wake her?"

"Yes, please do."

The Doctor did so and Seven came out of regeneration. For a moment she stared at them both blankly, then she spoke.

"Captain...Doctor."

"You recognize me," The Doctor said in surprise. "But then I suppose you know me. I just don't know you."

"What's going on?" Seven asked. "Why am I here? I'm supposed to be on an away mission. Did we crash or were we abducted?"

"Neither," Kathryn replied. "You've been dreaming. We all have. Everything you think that's happened over the passed four years has only happened in a dream. Five years ago my crew, and Chakotay's Maquis crew, were abducted by aliens and put into a kind of stasis. Our minds were linked and we all began to interact with each other in a collective dream."

Seven put her hand to her head and paced to and fro. "I remember now," she said. "Our cube malfunctioned...went on fire...we had to escape...got in a pod...found the array. Then we...I can't remember." She cradled her head in her hands as though it was hurting. "Too many memories...too many thoughts...why can't I remember...?"

The Doctor put his hand on her shoulder. "Take it easy. The confusion is a result of your disconnection from the dream. It will pass. Everyone has experienced the same thing."

"I made us join your collective," she went on. "The others didn't want to....they wanted to be free....I made them....I didn't want to be free....I wanted to be Borg....I wanted a collective...needed a collective...any collective...They have not survived....I cannot hear them...I killed them..."

Kathryn seized Seven. "Something similar happened in our dream, remember? Three drones that were once part of your unimatrix came to Voyager. Their minds were linked and they wanted to know why. You tried to help them and in doing so discovered that you were the reason for their link. After crash landing on a planet you were all severed from the Collective but you re-assimilated them because you were afraid of being an individual. Some time later they escaped from the Collective but could not break the link between the three of them because of what you'd done. They fell into a coma after linking with you and..."

"I remember," Seven interrupted. "Because of what I'd done, The Doctor could not make them individuals without killing them. I chose to let them have a month of individuality rather than a lifetime as a drone."

"Which was the right choice and one they appreciated. And I don't think it was just a dream. I think they were the drones with you on the array. After weeks or even months of being connected only to each other, I think they finally connected to us. The alien matrix that was connecting us all was extremely sophisticated and adaptive. I think the drones connected to us, and in connecting to us disconnected from each other, but in connecting to us their circuitry overloaded and they died. In our dream this translated to what we can remember. But the important thing is that they did connect to us and when they connected to us they made their peace with what had happened. And so did you."

"I did," Seven said. "I remember. I remember it all. The confusion, the chaos, it's passing. My thoughts are clearer. The dream...reality...I am able to distinguish between them. All is calming. All is clear."

"It's important to remember," The Doctor said, "that while your dream wasn't real, your experiences in it were. Think of it not so much as a dream, although that is what it was, but as having lived for a time in another plane of existence. The friendships that you made, the personal advancements that you made, they are all real. None of you will ever be the same after this experience. For while your memories of the dream will fade, the bonds you made and the relationships you forged, will always be there."

"That's right," Kathryn said. "We've all changed as a result of what's happened, and although the dream is receding further and further into the back of our minds, we all feel a bond to each other that is strong and constant."

"For me, Captain?" Seven asked. "Do you feel a bond to me?"

"I do," Kathryn said honestly. "And so does everyone."

* * *

Kathryn had just replicated herself a cup of steaming black coffee in her ready room when the door chime sounded. Regretfully, Kathryn put down her drink and called out.

"Come in!"

The doors opened and B'Elanna came in.

"We've done it, Captain," she said euphorically. "We've managed to configure the array."

Kathryn got to her feet, her coffee forgotten. "Oh that's fantastic, well done!"

"I had a break through this morning and everything fell into place afterwards. I've set everything up and we can be home in the touch of a button!"

"You're sure? Absolutely certain?"

"Absolutely. I've checked and double checked everything and nothing can go wrong. The array will generate a wave that will terminate in the alpha quadrant so all we have to do is ride it. It'll be a bumpy trip, just like the first, but the Rayzin are willing to help us enhance our shields so that we have maximum protection."

"Then get to it," Kathryn smiled. "You're in charge."

"Yes, Captain."

Happily, B'Elanna turned to leave, but just as she reached the door, Kathryn called her back.

"B'Elanna..."

The half-Klingon turned around.

"I'm very proud of you."

B'Elanna smiled warmly and then went on her way.

* * *

Five hours later, all enhancements were done and everything was ready for the trip. Kathryn thanked the Rayzin for all their help and then got Voyager into position to encounter the wave. Not a sound could be heard on the bridge as they all waited for it to appear on the viewscreen.

Then it did.

A white light flashed across the screen and then Voyager began to shake. Kathryn was thrown from her seat at the turbulence and her head slammed against something sharp. Then the light disappeared and the shaking stopped. Kathryn pulled herself back into her chair, her hair wild and her head bleeding, and addressed Harry.

"Our position, Mr Kim."

The young ensign was a moment in answering. "Right where we wanted to be."

There was a long silence as everyone absorbed the enormous implication. At last, at long long last, they were home. Then Tuvok spoke. "We're receiving a transmission...Starfleet Command."

"On screen," Kathryn said quietly.

Admiral Paris's face filled the viewscreen and he smiled with visible emotion. "Welcome home."

Kathryn smiled in return, her eyes moist. "It's good to be back, Sir."

**End of Chapter Three**


	5. Epilogue

**Star Trek Voyager characters are the property of Paramount Pictures**

**Dreamers**

**Epilogue**

**Trebus, Three Months Later**

A blazing summer sun beat down on Kathryn as she walked through a tropical rainforest to a gushing waterfall. She was wearing her Starfleet uniform, her rank still captain, and her hair was tied up in an elegant bun. Beneath the waterfall, swimming in clear water, was Chakotay. He didn't see her approach and Kathryn didn't alert him to her presence. She just sat on a red rock and watched him. In the dream she had told him he reminded her of a bear, but it was a dolphin she thought of now as she watched him move through the water with masterful skill. When at last he saw her, he raised his hand to his brow as though he was uncertain of what he was seeing, and called out to her.

"Kathryn?"

"The one and only," she smiled as she got to her feet.

Chakotay swam to the bank and climbed out of the lagoon. Only trunks adorned his wet muscular body and his manly beauty took Kathryn's breath away.

"This is a surprise," Chakotay said. "Welcome to Trebus. It's good to see you."

"You too," Kathryn replied.

Their eyes locked and Chakotay stepped closer. "I've missed you," he said quietly.

Tears filled Kathryn's eyes. "I've missed you too."

"What brings you here? I gather from the uniform this isn't a social call."

"No," she said. "At least, not officially. Voyager is now back in service and I've been asked to captain her on a two year deep space exploration mission. I've accepted the charge and am now selecting my crew. So far I've recruited Tom Paris as my chief pilot, B'Elanna as my chief Engineer, Tuvok as chief of security, and The Doctor as chief medical officer. Harry Kim, his fiance Libby, Seven of Nine, Neelix and Kes are also coming along. There's only person needed to make our family complete and that's you. So, what do you say, Chakotay? Will you be my First Officer?"

For a moment Chakotay said nothing, then he smiled, dimples showing. "I will."

Kathryn smiled happily in return and held out her hand to him. "Then welcome aboard."

Chakotay took her hand and they shook on it. Then, when they parted, Kathryn unpinned her hair and shook it loose.

"Now that's settled," she said, "shall we swim? I'm very good."

"I don't doubt it," Chakotay smiled, "but aren't you a little overdressed?"

"Not at all," she answered. "I'm wearing my birthday suit."

Chakotay laughed and then jumped back into the water while Kathryn stripped.

**THE END**


End file.
